5 Ways to Protect Your Wedding Rings

As any engaged or married couple knows, your engagement ring and wedding bands are special and valuable items, both in sentiment and price. So, of course, you’ll want to do all that you can to protect and care for your rings. These five tips will keep your precious jewelry safe and secure for generations.

1. Insurance

As I quickly learned when my best friend’s engagement ring got lost after being sent for re-sizing, nothing can replace the sentimental value of your wedding and engagement rings. Luckily for my friend and her fiance, the ring was eventually tracked down and returned, but the lesson was learned: anything could happen to this beautiful, costly item.

One thing that a lot of people neglect to do is insure their engagement and wedding rings. If your ring ever gets lost, stolen, or damaged, having it properly appraised and insured for its full replacement value can help, at least financially. However, some insurance companies are better than others, of course, so make sure you do your homework! Some insurance companies will even offer a replacement ring of the same kind and quality, which is the perfect option for anyone who has a designer ring.

2. Clean and Inspect

Engagement and wedding rings see a lot of wear and tear, since they’re typically worn day in and day out. Since you invested in this piece of jewelry, you should make sure it’s kept clean. In fact, you should have your rings cleaned and inspected at least twice a year by a professional. Otherwise, before you know it, your diamond could come loose and fall out, or dirt could slowly get caked on. On top of having it inspected and cleaned biannually at a jewelers, if you notice something wrong, take it in to the jeweler as soon as possible and let the professionals work their magic!

However, you can usually clean it yourself once in a while. This doesn’t replace having a jeweller inspect and clean it, though, and it isn’t always necessary. If you do decide to clean it yourself, keep it in mind that not all solutions work on all diamonds, gemstones, or metals. Fortunately, you can use a few drops of Dawn dish detergent in warm water (not too hot, though!), let it soak for a few minutes and then, using a new, soft baby toothbrush, gently scrub it. Once it looks sparkly and new, place it in a new dish of lukewarm water to rinse and dry it with a soft cloth.

Remember to never clean your rings over an open drain or sink! This nightmare portrayed on movies is a nightmare too many people have experienced in real life. Don’t let it become your own personal nightmare.

3. Remove It

We use our hands a lot; they pretty much take care of everything for us. So, as a result, your engagement and wedding rings will be exposed to a lot in your every day life. If you don’t remove your ring for the messy things, it’s going to see a lot of unnecessary use and abuse. Things you should remove your ring for include cleaning, gardening, showering, working out, sleeping, swimming, and even when you’re doing your hair and makeup. Not only do you risk putting stress on your ring, scratching, and loosening the delicate settings during these daily activities, you could be exposing it to an abundance of pollutants and grime buildup.

Taking it off for the above listed activities will also ensure you don’t lose it. Having your ring slip off while doing chores or working out can be a really anxiety-inducing event that can easily be avoided by taking it off before hand.

4. Store It

When you aren’t wearing your ring, either because you’re doing household chores, gardening, or getting ready for bed, make sure to store it somewhere safe. Ideally, you should store it in a clean, dry place. A fabric-lined jewelry case or box that has dividers works perfectly. The reason you should store it in fabric-lined case with dividers or a separate compartment is to ensure it doesn’t rub against other pieces of jewelry or items that could scratch it.

It’s also a good idea to keep another ring holder in the kitchen, somewhere you can safely store it when cooking, doing dishes, and cleaning up the kitchen. A lot of people keep a little dish on their windowsill, but, as mentioned, it would be better to have a fabric-lined jewelry box instead. You can keep an old jewelry case or ring box on the windowsill or in a drawer, for when you’re working away in the kitchen. Just remember to always store it in the exact same spot, so as not to lose it.

5. Resist Re-sizing

There are times when you will want to get your ring re-sized, for example, during pregnancy. When your hands swell during pregnancy, you might want to re-size it so you can keep wearing it, but you should probably choose not to wear it for a while instead. Even after pregnancy, try to wait a few months. Having your ring re-sized too many times can be a lot on such a small, delicate piece of jewelry.